


Words Fail

by Anichibi



Series: Ani's Bad Things Happen Bingo [6]
Category: Dragon Quest XI
Genre: Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Kinda, M/M, Selectively Mute Hero|Luminary
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-24
Updated: 2019-09-24
Packaged: 2020-10-27 04:47:10
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,032
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20754566
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Anichibi/pseuds/Anichibi
Summary: The prompt was "it's all my fault" and i kinda looked at everything happening after the whole thing with Cobblestone and went "you can't convince me poor el didn't start developing selective mutism after that shit if he wasn't selectively mute already." OF COURSE as someone who is selectively mute and also adhd as hell i quickly tried to incorporate then completely forgot about this so have this weird mess.





	Words Fail

**Author's Note:**

> The prompt was "it's all my fault" and i kinda looked at everything happening after the whole thing with Cobblestone and went "you can't convince me poor el didn't start developing selective mutism after that shit if he wasn't selectively mute already." OF COURSE as someone who is selectively mute and also adhd as hell i quickly tried to incorporate then completely forgot about this so have this weird mess.

El had been completely quiet since they left Cobblestone. Usually, Erik liked quiet, but right now it was starting to grate on his nerves. It felt awkward and tense, as El would've been happily conversing with him as they walked, even if it was very one-sided. And now that it was quiet, El being silent was something Erik decidedly did not like very much and hell if he wasn't going to try to fix it.

"So, the weather's pretty nice, huh?" The thief very awkwardly attempted conversation, but El was completely silent. He was staring off at something in the distance, despite nothing but trees spanning for at least a few miles. That didn't work. El rubbed the back of his hand, the one with the mark on it. It was something Erik had noticed was a sort of nervous habit the hero had. He didn't have to do much thinking to figure out the source of his unusual behavior. Coming home to find out everything was destroyed and everyone killed was often not what you would want to see. El had been silent ever since, this far off look in his eyes that wasn't focused on any set place. It was like he was staring into nothingness, likely lost in his own mind.

Deciding he was fed up with the silent treatment, Erik stepped in front of the other, who nearly bumped into him but was aware enough to notice him and stop. "You mind telling me what's wrong, bud?" El opened his mouth, and while Erik was just a bit excited at the prospect of actually holding a conversation with him, he already knew what he was gonna say. "Don't tell me nothing's wrong. You've been acting weird since we left."

El opened his mouth again, but it quickly shut and his eyes wandered to the ground. He was once again rubbing his mark. Erik did his best to keep his frustrated sigh in his chest where it belonged. He got the feeling it would make things just a bit harder for himself. Instead, he focused on the rustling he heard in the bushes, spinning on the sole of his shoe and quickly grabbing his knife. El behind him tensed up before fumbling for his sword. A few monsters appeared from the bushes, and Erik found himself relaxing just a bit. No soldiers. They were the _last_ thing either of them needed at the moment.

The first few monsters went without much trouble. One snuck up on an occupied Erik and El wasn't quite fast enough to yell for the other to dodge, resulting in him being harshly hit in the back and left skidding to a hault and sprawled on the ground. It took the thief some effort to even get himself onto his elbows, and the monster was sneaking up to deal the last hit. El quickly shot a fireball at it, getting its attention. He rushed over and slashed it across the chest, finishing it off. He quickly took care of the last few monsters before rushing to Erik still on the ground, but having managed to bring himself into a sitting position. His knees and elbows were scraped from sliding, and his right cheek had a large scrape as well. Some quick healing spells did the job, and it was almost as if nothing had happened.

Or it would be if El didn't look so close to breaking down over it.

"Hey, you know I wasn't hurt that bad, right? You don't gotta beat yourself up over it."

It seemed El was pushed to the edge. "But it's _my_ fault you got hurt because I _saw_ it coming but I didn't say _anything_ and then on top of my home getting destroyed just because I was _raised there_ and just everything else going wrong on this god forsaken journey, I don't want to do this anymore! It feels like everything is my fault simply because I was _born_!" The normally composed hero was breaking down for the second time that day, hands tangling themselves in his hair as he tried his best just regaining control over his quickened breathing.

Erik was speechless for several moments, and it took El sobbing loudly for him to snap back to his senses. "Oh, c'mon, you know that's not true. I was just being overconfident and not paying attention. Besides, did _you_ send soldiers to destroy Cobblestone?" Erik did his best to keep a smile, even if that was getting increasingly difficult with the upbeat hero breaking down in tears in front of him. He let slience fill the small gap between his question and his response as if to help prove his point when El didn't respond. "I didn't think so. And besides, some things have to have gone right for you, right?"

"Name _one_." El demanded bitterly.

"Well, we escaped prison."

"Yeah, after I got arrested for merely _existing_."

"Um..."

"That's what I thought."

"You met me, isn't that a good thing?"

"...Yeah..."

"See? At least _something_ went right." Erik wasn't typically the positive one of the two, but he seemed be fitting the role nicely when they got swapped around. "That aside, self-depreciation doesn't suit you very well."

To that, El had no reply. Whether because of the tears that started pouring from his eyes or just him having nothing else to say was a hard case to crack. The broken hero curled into himself and bawled, hands covering his face. Erik's smile faltered for a few moments, the thief unsure of what he could do, if anything at all.

Erik hesitantly rested his hand on El's head, the boy looking up surprised. Erik tried giving his best smile, even if the tears running down the hero's cheeks made something in him ache. El seemed to stop for a moment before suddenly he was clinging onto Erik as if he was a lifeline. Erik stiffly hugging the hero as the boy came to relax more in his arms. The sun was setting now, but neither bothered really moving. El's cries calmed gradually, and eventually they were back on their way again, but this time in joyful conversation.


End file.
